{outfit post} white hot...

You know how everyone always says that New Yorkers are really busy? Or, you know people who live here who just seem to have a never ending parade of plans? It's all dinner dates and re-scheduling coffee, and friends visiting from wherever and brunch with so-and-so followed by a quick trip to East Hampton and then there's this fashion party in Soho and a roof party after that...

I've become one of those people. At least, that's what it feels like lately! Over the past few weeks I've had lots of really fun and fabulous plans, and I've gotta say, I like it. As much as I love my downtime, it's summer, and I didn't move to The Big City to stay home every night watching The Bachelorette. 

Anyway, as you can tell from my outfit post patterns, Meghan is my mover-and-shaker / gal-about-town who kindly and often brings me to really great events as her plus one. One such event was last Thursday evening, at the Nanette Lapore store on Broome Street. Miss Lapore herself was in attendance for the party, Revlon was there doing make up, and the champagne was flowing. Never-mind that it was approximately 5000 degrees out, we still donned summer dresses and mingled among the bloggers, photographers and handsome cater-waiters.

Zara dress; Ray Ban sunglasses; American Apparel carry all; thrifted necklace; Star Ling shoes; Michael Kors watch.

This dress from Zara is one of my absolute favorite things that I own. I don't wear it often, and it could definitely use a little more time out on the town. The fit is just right, and it's rather uncharacteristically girly for me, don't you think? Tully remarked when I wore it on the Fourth of July, "You look - so - feminine!" I guess she's right, for whatever reason, I don't own nearly as many dresses as I do separates, especially ones with cascading ruffles. 

There's that bird necklace again... I get so many compliments on this crazy thing, it just goes to show you what quirky and inexpensive treats you can find at NYC thrift stores.

{outfit post} june gloom...

This week has really been the definition of June gloom here in New York. It's been muggy, dark and rainy. Coming off of a very sunny and summer-y weekend on the ocean, it was enough to drive a girl to drink. Luckily, Sonia was on the same page, so we met for a Thursday afternoon happy hour at one of my favorite little spots in the neighborhood, Corner Bistro. We commiserated over $2.75 mugs of McSorley's beer then skipped down West 4th Street to snap a few pictures.

It was a particularly wet and gloomy day, which influenced my outfit in a couple of ways. On days like this I always want to ere on the side of casual and comfortable, but also infuse a little color into the greyness of the weather. Factor in a dash of humidity, and here's what I ended up with:

Army surplus jacket; American Apparel deep V; vintage Missoni skirt (last worn as a dress here); Steve Madden flats; Prada bag; vintage & Fireworks necklaces; F21 ring; Michael Kors watch; Ray Ban sunglasses.

This skirt is a really strange length, but lucky for us, strange lengths are in these days. It's almost a maxi, not quite a midi, and hangs in this brilliantly swing-y but not too voluminous way. Pairing it with my completely worn in, should-probably-be-replaced white tee made for the perfect "cozy chic" happy hour ensemble. The jacket is one I picked up at the army surplus store on West 8th Street last fall. I haggled with the darling sales guy so he gave me a deal on two of them, the second of which I promptly sent home to my mom. She's obsessed, too. It's lightweight and really easy to play around with because the hood can be zipped in, the sleeves are perfect to scrunch and roll and the drawstring waist lets you totally feminize the shape.

(I feel like I should note that I am smiling in every picture in this post.)

 Yeah, I'm pretty much obsessed with these stripes.

I've started to wear my hair with this front french braid almost everyday. I decided to just let my bangs grow over the summer, since I almost always wear them pinned back this time of year anyway. Let's just say that my bangs and humidity are pretty much sworn enemies. The braid keeps them out of my face and adds a bit of a romantic touch, don't you think?

Now, okay. I realize the following is a bit silly, however I couldn't resist. When you spend as much time browsing both amateur and established fashion blogs as I do, you start to notice, er, similarities. There are a few things that have become completely ubiquitous to personal style blogs, and I noticed that yesterday, I was wearing a lot of them. Behold:

I really, really, like this look, so, what does that say about me? Am I trendy or just totally affected? If I know I'm doing it, is it ok?

If I were carrying a Cambridge Satchel Company bag and wearing a YSL arty ring, oh and perhaps looking a bit more pouty and cool on some traintracks, maybe I could rename my blog something like,

Cupcakes & Atlantic Sea of a Man Reppeller's Late Afternoon Fashion Toast.

No?

I'm sort of curious to know what you guys think. Are all the style bloggers looking the same these days? Do I need to shake it up? How do we stand out if we're all dressed the same? Will someone buy me that arty ring anyway?

{bag crush} American Apparel canvas carry all

As I was idly strolling around in Chelsea last night, waiting for a phone call and trying to avoid my stifling apartment, I decided to pop into the American Apparel that I often forget is kitty corner from my building. While Vampire Weekend's "Diplomat's Son" played, I picked through the weirdly cut bodysuits and Legalize Gay shirts, and checked out the new colors of my favorite carry all pouch. 

Suddenly my eyes widened as I spied a mass of navy and white stripes on the other side of the fixture. It was the carry all weekend bag I posted about here, but in bold stripes that immediately called to me.

"Taylor, pack me full of shorts and bikinis and sunglasses and take me to the beach for a weekend! Please! I will look so good, and I have room for everything! I promise!" It seemed to say.

I picked the bag up, unzipped it and peered inside. It's absolutely cavernous. There aren't any inside pockets or snazzy features, it just looks cool and hold a lot. It's a weekender that doubles as a beach bag which, at this time of year, is pretty much ideal.

I would imagine you can also just throw that bad boy in the wash (or get it dry cleaned) when it starts to get a little dirty, which makes the $72 price point even more appealing. 

I told you guys a while ago that I was feeling like the East Coast was taking over my summer style... I suppose this is just one more step towards revisiting that fuchsia Lacoste polo dress I bought circa 2002.

Check out the bag online, and note that it also comes in navy and red stripes, or in a few solid hues for about $15 less.

Additionally, I'm pretty obsessed with this.

Now, show me to my sailboat...

{inspired!} that pink J. Crew button down...

It looks like the lovely Late Afternoon has the same pink J. Crew button down that I do.

I love how she's styled it here, especially that fancy roll she's working with her cuffs.
Since I have black skinnies, oxfords, a similar AA clutch and bangs, I think I could work something like this out.

that's so clutch...

For a while, I went through a no-clutch phase. If it didn't have a practical strap from which to hang off my shoulder or elbow, I wasn't interested. Trying to manage one of those, a drink, and one-handed text someone was just more than I could handle. Literally. Then came the over-sized clutch craze. I was anti no more. Flush with excitement to rejoin this arm candy arena, I was royally annoyed that most of my favorites were well beyond my budget. (So often this is the story of my life...)

Enter: American Apparel. Their leather carry-all pouch comes in two clutch-worthy sizes, and at $50 - $68, they won't cause you to choose between fashion and rent. I went with the medium size ($45 in store), and I couldn't be more pleased. I picked a dark, forest green shade of leather that reminds me of a Chesterfield club chair you'd find in your grandfather's study.

You can see it in action here, but I thought I might give you a peek of what's usually inside as well. I packed this as my main bag for my trip to Arizona, and, tucked inside my Longchamp carry-on with my books and snacks, it was pretty much perfect for flying.

I kid you not, all these things fit in there - at once:

Esquire's Big Black Book: A great primer if you have any interest in what's up with menswear this year

Apple ipad: indulgent essential for a blogger on the go

Urban Outfitters wallet: ugh, I hate it, potential new wallet post is forthcoming

Ray Ban aviators: all day, everyday

Marc by Marc Jacobs keychain: the best $5 no one needs to spend on Bleeker Street

Circa 2008 LG touchscreen phone: I like to keep my communication vintage

L'Occitane lotion: rough hands are not desirable unless you're a farmer

Aquaphor: it's miracle worker

(You can see this bag on just about every other personal style blog in the galaxy, so do some exploring to see more fun ways to style it. Additionally, it now comes in some punchy new colors for spring, so don't be surprised if I (or you!) double up.)

{outfit post} bright, bold, brunch...

As I hinted at in a previous post, Sunday was a truly spectacular day in New York City. It felt like the  island of Manhattan decided to put on it's favorite and most flattering outfit, and really get out there and sparkle. The sun rays were warm on my back, trees were showing leaves and blooms, and I had a brunch date I'd been looking forward to for weeks.

I met the lovely and stylish Sonia, of In Pursuit of Style, at my favorite French spot in Chelsea, Le Grainne.  We hit it off instantly - it must have been the matching faux fur vests. Over coffee and Nutella crepes with bananas and strawberries, we chattered away non-stop about everything from Google Analytics to Gucci.

Once we had cleaned every last bit of hazelnut spread off our plates, happily buzzing off caffeine and sunshine, we had a giggly stroll around the neighborhood, snapping a few pictures and figuring out when we could do this again.

Needless to say, it will be soon.

 J Brand jeans; H&M mens' button down; Tully's Tory Burch cardigan; Moira's faux fur vest; Jessica Simpson ballet flats; Ray Ban aviators; American Apparel clutch; freshwater opera length pearls.

Michael Kors watch; Tiffany bangle; vintage chain, stone, glass and gold bracelets; F21 owl ring; O.P.I.'s Jade Is The New Black. 
(Stay tuned for a whole post dedicated to my new AA clutch. It's an obsession.)

I was having sort of a daytime glam moment for brunch that day. What can I say? The bright sun and warm temperatures brought out the top-knot / faux fur / too many bracelets combo in me. Let me tell you: the prospect of hitting the streets sans jacket was almost too much for me to handle. I had to make it count.

Anyway, I have always admired this Tory Burch cardigan that lives in Tully's and my closet, but that was once Moira's. It's the perfect rich, bright hue of orange, and really pops against a white shirt and dark denim. The cozy vest is also Moira's, and I shamelessly borrow it frequently, so it was only a matter of time until it ended up on le blog. Riddle me this readers, what in the world is the point of having three roommates if you don't borrow their clothes? That's right, there isn't one.

Talk stoop.